'My first goal' - Ruben Amorim grants Roy Keane his Manchester United wish

New Manchester United head coach Ruben Amorim has hinted he will not get hung up on formations as he settles into life at Old Trafford.

Following his appointment as Erik ten Hag's successor earlier this month, much of the talk has been about how he is expected to install his trademark 3-4-3 system. Amorim enjoyed plenty of success at Sporting Lisbon with that set-up and many United fans believe he should stick to his principles in his attempts to restore the Reds to their former glories.

Despite winning two trophies under Ten Hag, United often lacked a recognised style of play. Their style, certainly last season, resembled something you would often see on a basketball court, in the sense games would ebb and flow at 100mph. United became entertaining for all the wrong reasons.

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At times, however, they were capable of turning the dial and producing a performance that was worthy of applause. For example, they were excellent in the FA Cup final triumph against Manchester City, producing one of their best performances of the Ten Hag era.

Performances of that ilk, however, were few and far between. Inconsistency was a problem and you never knew which version of United you were going to get.

It has often been the same so far this season, leading to the inevitable dismissal of Ten Hag at the end of October. And that was why Roy Keane, following United's 1-1 draw with Chelsea earlier this month, was so critical of his former club.

He told Sky Sports: "This is an average Manchester United team. All the stats back that up. They are hit and miss - you never know which team will turn up. Not good.

"'Boring' seems a bit strong but they lack conviction. It's really disappointing. It's so flat. This team is way off it, getting back in the top four."

Despite being 13th in the table, United are only four points shy of the top four as things stand, making it a very achievable goal for Amorim. While securing Champions League qualification for next season has to be the main aim for the 39-year-old, his first mission is to try and install an identity at Old Trafford again.

He said: "We know that we need time, but we have to win time. To win time is to win games. But the most important thing for me is identity. So since day one we will start with our identity. Of course we are going to prepare the games, but we will focus a lot in our game model. How to play, how to press, these small things, small details.

"You cannot go 100 per cent on every detail because it will be confusing for the players. So if I have to say one thing, my main goal, my first goal, is identity."

Amorim's admission will be music to Keane's ears. The Portuguese chief is hell-bent, it seems, on implementing a style of play that can be recognised.

Installing a preferred formation will come naturally with that craving, but it is clear Amorim's first goal is to get the players singing from the same hymn sheet. If he passes that particular mission, ensuring the players buy into his methods, an upturn in performances and results should follow.

Amorim added: "I think it's important because a lot of people now talk about the 3-4-3 and the 4-3-3 and all that stuff. But when I think as a player or as a teammate of Manchester United, it is not a system of formation, it's like the character of the players, the way they see the club.

"So we have to focus on that before the everything of how we play, how we press. The most important thing for me at this moment is to create the principles, the identity and the character that we had in the past."